Forbes: Cincinnati is the Best City for Recent College Grads

Forbes: Cincinnati is the Best City for Recent College Grads

College education is a key factor in the likelihood to move; at least 77% of college graduates have changed communities at least once since completing their education. According to Forbes, many of those grads may now be moving to Cincinnati.

The biggest questions college graduates face after graduation involve where to go next. Contrary to popular belief and modern cinema, the answer isn’t New York City, Los Angeles, or Washington, D.C.

Forbes says the best place to go after graduation is Southwest Ohio.

Forbes recently named the Cincinnati-Middletown area of the Tristate as the top up-and-coming city for recent college graduates.

The magazine’s website reports that Cincinnati offers young professionals the secret to success in the real world: strong job opportunities and manageable living costs.

Despite the recent announcement in Forbes, studies show that more millennials are living at home now than ever.

A recent Pew Research Center report stated that, for the first time since 1880, young adults ages 18 to 34 are more likely to live with a parent than another arrangement.

The living arrangements reflect not only the growing trend of postponing marriage, but also larger economic factors that are keeping millennials at home.

Pew’s Richard Fry argues that a challenging job market is a major factor driving the trend. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 5.7% of men ages 25 to 34 are unemployed, a full percentage point lower than older men.

The high cost of housing may play an additional role. With home ownership rates of those under 35 at a 20-year low, many more are looking to rent. But as rent prices rise faster than wages, the market may be keeping millennials from moving out of their parents’ homes.

However, Cincinnati seems to be crushing those statistics.

Job search site ZipRecruiter identified cities gaining traction based on low median rents, low competition, and a high percentage of open jobs for candidates with a college degree, as well as the concentration of residents ages 21 to 24 and entertainment. Cincinnati dominated every category.

The top three industries found in the ZipRecruiter study were retail, insurance, and customer service, with entry-level positions such as event specialists and bank tellers available in the area.

The cost of living also added to Cincinnati’s high ranking. The average rent for a one-bedroom apartment is $698 per month, which ZipRecruiter called “very affordable living.”

More millennials may be living at home currently, but Forbes may have a hand in a growing Cincinnati population.

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